Zika and Pregnancy: What You Need To Know Before Travel Season

March 20, 2017

Zika and Pregnancy: What You Need To Know Before Travel Season

(Clyde, N.C.) According to the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention
there have been 1,455 cases in the United States and the District of
Columbia where there has been laboratory evidence of possible Zika Virus
Infection confirmed as of Feb. 22, 2017.

“Many may not consider the possibility of contracting Zika. It still
seems like a very ‘foreign’ virus, but it’s a very real thing and can
easily be caught during this upcoming travel season. If you are
pregnant, or plan to become pregnant in the near future, the best
protection is going to be to avoid the areas where Zika is present and
also prevent mosquito bites,” said David Kirk, MD, Haywood Women’s
Medical Center.

Kirk mentions, according to the Center of Disease Control and
Prevention, this is what we know thus far about the virus:

Zika can be passed from a pregnant woman to her
fetus.

Zika infection during pregnancy can cause certain birth
defects.

Zika is spread mostly by the bite of an infected Aedes
aegypti or Aedes albopictus mosquito. These mosquitoes
bite during the day and night.

There is no vaccine to prevent or medicine to treat
Zika.

Zika can be passed through sex from a person who has
Zika to his or her sex partners.

It also is crucial to educate yourself on the symptoms, as they are mild
and many may not even realize they have the virus. Four in five people
who acquire Zika infection may have no symptoms. These mild
symptoms can include red eyes, aching joints, rash or fever. A
blood or urine test can confirm Zika infection diagnosis.

“If you do plan to travel make sure you are taking precautionary
measures. Wear long sleeve clothing, use insect repellant, stay indoors
when you can, and if traveling with a baby or child protect them by
covering their cribs, strollers, etc. with mosquito netting and dress
them in clothes that protect their skin from bites,” said Robin
Matthews, MD, Haywood Women’s Medical Center.